Golf practice and amusement apparatus



Jan. 17', w39. E L, DUFFY, 2,144,439'

GOLF PRACTICE Am) AMUSEMENT APPARATUS A Filed Jan. 16., 1937 3 SheeItS-Sheet l JmL 17, i939. E L DUFFY 2,144,439

GOLF PRACTICE AND AMUSEMENT APPAMTUS I Filed Jaun. 1e, 1957 v. 3 sheets-sheet 2 Jan.17, 1939.,v E,- L. DUFFY 2,144,439

GowPRAcTIcE AND AMUSEMENTAPMRATUS Filed Jan. 1s, 1957 :5 sheets-sheet 3 Inventar Ma @Ufff Patentedv Jan. 17, 1939 PeAeTIeE ANDy .Anti-sanear Ammers einer 1.. Dairy, Yakima, Wash. y geniessen .January ie, 19er, seria se. new@ intenti@ relates .te .that `elassiiieation .of llellfl .et .etures Ywhich ,might Well be Slfllpd among sQ-.Qalled .game apparatus .arl-d amusement .de-vites, though it be vmore satis- .fatolly .and adequately .classed .as .a golf ball nu .meandpraetieinestrueture.

With the thought in mind ,of providing a structure to prornote friendly competition among participants and lenable the players to -incident-.ally

llo. practice the artof putting With-,golf .balls I have nerfeeied .a .novel .assemblage of features which. collectively considered, go ,to make up a unique apparatus which though primarily intended for indoor use but may .be Vemployed with satisfac- :tion for ,outdoor activity duetoits portable nature and ability to be transported and set up forv play at Iany predetermined and proper place of use.

.Qonsidered as .a composite combination .ofproperly -coordinated structural parts, the assemblage, as arwhole, .is ,characterizedby a suitable ball run- Way preferably in the form of a properly fabricated floor runner ,or rug, this being employed in conjunction with an inclined board `mounted on.

an adjustable stand, said board having a ball receiving and collecting cup- By .Way of vcomparison with analagous construct-ions, the principal factor in thelconstruction is the especially designed and adaptable inclined Acup equipped 'bard and its special companion/ate features and adaptations. f

thereof will become more readily apparent from the accompanying illustrative drawings and the following detailed description andfclaims.

In the drawings .wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a top. plan .View of the complete structuralv assemblage as develope-d in accordance with the principles 'of my invention.

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view of the structure seen in Figure 1. l

Figure 3 is an enlarged end elevational view observing either of Figures 1 or 2 in a direction from right to left."v

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the special portable knock-down board unit or panel forming the principal part of the improvement, the runner or rug being omitted for clarity of illustration.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan View of the unit depicted in Figure 4..

Figure 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the structure of Figure 4.

Qther and more specic features and advantages of the invention and preferred embodiment (c1. aast-32) Figure '7 is an enlarged detail view vdisclosing the @ball receiving for.

Figure 8 is a detail sectionon theyline 8:18 .of Figure .4. f.

Gonsidering Vthe `structure as .a general .assermbly 4:it may be said to Abe made up principallyof two Icomplemental sections; namelyLthe inclined knockdown portable cup unit 9 'andthe com'.-

panion ball runway lil. The latter part vis simply.l

in the nature of an elongated orcar'pet .such

as might be adequately;referredv .totas .a runner.

It is ,of appropriate texture and its top-is formed. with .suitable nap to provide the requisite factorsf of resistance and to-giye-the realistic .effect of@ putting ,on -a regular putting green. 'Due to the. function of'this part it) it is thought that it may be loosely .described or referredl to as the ball runway `or 'putting green.

suitable fabric and as shown in Figure 7 is of a capacity to receive some ten .or more regulation go-if balls. It is thus in effect not only abal'l're.- ceiving .cup but a sort `of a. trap to facilitatore? assembling the balls for `further use. It is for-med with a'inarginal flange I3 suitably fas-1. tened in place by an attaching frame i4 securedA to theundersideof the inclined board or panel i5., This board is formed with an opening i6 Thus whenl the golf balls lll' are properly propelled through.l

Which'regsters. with the opening :l l.

the action 'of a putter or similar club, they may be selectively .dropped into the .cup through these openings nl! and i5. Any suitable means may be .employed for securing the apertured portion of ther ball runway or rug l0 on the inclined panel l5. It has been found expedient and practicable to provide a sort of a tapered flapy lwhich is hinged-ly connected as at la to the intake end of the board or panel. This is in a sense `a properly 1 graduated lift or riser for that portion of the rug whichrjoins the intake endv of the' panel or board. VIt avoids the-presence'at this juncture the accurate rolling of the golf balls, The balls are prevented from rolling beyond the board by way of an upstanding flange or stop element 20. 'I'his also serves as a sort of straight edge for the adjacent edge of the rug and facilitates a1- location of parts.

As 4before implied the cup equipped unit or board includes an inclining and supporting stand. The stand is of a multiple-part type and the cup and attaching means there:Y

Atlonepen-d it is pro@- vided With a hole 'il and this is adapted to regiister With ,the underlyingaball receiving cup' I2v.f Incidentally, the cup is'made .of'icanvas ,or .other 1.45 of an obstruction which `might interferelvvithfgv secured to the underside and have their rear ends projecting into attaching extensions 22. The numerals 23, 24 and 25 may be described as representing reinforcing or cross pieces. This is so as to keep the board level and to prevent warping. I provide a pair of adjustable and foldable leg units. Each unit is denoted by the numeral 26, and a description of one will suiiiceV for both. The leg proper is denoted by the numeral 21 and is provided with a plurality of apertures attachable by a bolt and nut as at 28 to the extension 22. This enables the leg to be properly adjusted to regulate the elevation and inclination of the panel or board. The numeral 29 designates a diagonal stay which is detachably bolted as at to the intermediate portion of the adjacent rail 2l. The opposite end however, is hingedly connected as at 3| to the lower end portion of the leg'2l. It goes without saying that` this type of a prop or support is desirable due toits simplicity and economy andbecause it is aptly fitted to successfully fuliill the requirements of a dependable stand. Y

The gist ofthe invention is reflected in the Y employment of the essential unit or part 9 which is in the nature of a board preferably held in inclined position' by an adjustable and detachable Y this cup, itis evident that when it becomes" illedY with balls, by placing the hand underneath and squeezing` or pushing it upwardly this will thrust the balls severally out through the hole so that they can be conveniently grasped and re-used. It obviates the necessity of attempting to lift the balls one by one out through the hole as might be necessary if a rigid cup were used. Another feature is found in the specialV adapter flap I8 which Yprovides the desiredV coordination between the rug` and the panel or ib'oard. Then too, the use of a simple rug'or runway as the putting green is a unique adaptation and makes for convenience and practicability especially for indoor play.

Needless to say the invention is usable in the home, in recreation halls, in gymnasiums, hospitals as aV satisfactory pastime and amusement apparatus. In addition to this it has the practical aspect of enabling the participants to practice putting in a convenient and amusing manner.

In practice, various rules and regulations may be employed, so as to add to the pastime effectsv of the game. For example, it is possible to place the balls at predetermined spots on the green I0 as shown in Figure l, and to number the balls and to-see how many strokes are required to get'all the balls in the cup. This provides the desired friendly pastime and competitive spirit Vso useful in a structure of this character.

It is 'thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a golf practice and amusement device, a board having an opening therein, supporting means for the board holding the board in a position sloping downwardly and forwardly on a surface,'means for adjusting the inclination of lthe board, a flap hingedly connected to the front and lower end of the board, a pocket forming member of Yflexible material ,connected with the underside of the board in registry with the hole therein for receiving and retaining balls dropping through the hole, an upright strip connected to the upper face of the-board at the rear and high end of the samerfor preventing balls from rolling Voisaid rear end of the board, an elongated member of carpet material having its major portion resting on the surface infront of the board and another portion resting on the board and the apwith the Arear end of the elongated memberabutting the strip and that portion of Vthe'elongated member resting on the registering with the board having a hole therein hole in theV board: Y

2. VA Vgolf practice and amusement apparatus comprising -a pair of Vupright legs each provided with a vertical row of spaced holes, a board having, a hole therein, rails connected with the side edges of the board and having the rear ends extending beyond the rearend ofthe board, bolts passing throughV said extended parts and through any one Vof theholes in the legs, a pairA of bars hingedly connected at the rear ends to the legs and pivotally connected at the front ends yto the rails, said rails and the bars with thev legs supporting the board in an inclined position sloping downwardly and forwardly with the front edge resting on a surface, a flap hinged to the front edge of the board and resting on the surface, a pocket forming member of flexible material vconnected with the `underface of the board and registering with the opening therein, an upright strip connected to the upper face of the rear end of the board and an elongated strip of carpet-like material having its major portion resting on the surface in front of the board with another portion resting on the board and the flap with the rear end of the strip abutting the upright strip Vat the rear end of the board, that portion of the elongated lstrip which rests on the board havingv a hole therein register- ELMER L. DUFFY. 

